


Winter Bloom

by IfOnlyNow



Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-21
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2019-02-17 22:57:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13087185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IfOnlyNow/pseuds/IfOnlyNow
Summary: Erasmus always missed the sun in winter time.(Harry Potter AU)





	Winter Bloom

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bowtieowl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bowtieowl/gifts).



The sharp edge of winter cut the breeze that came through the cobblestone streets. Students shivered and readjusted their robes or ducked into brightly lit stores to seek warmth. Erasmus stood in front of a window display of a broom – the new Thunderstrike just in time for Quidditch season. The handle was made from a deep brown wood, imported from another country, and the bristles at the end looked hardy and ready for flight. His eyes drifted to the price tag, pulling his coin purse out. Maybe the groundskeeper might need some help, with it being winter there was a lot work to do around the castle and Erasmus had done that sort of work before. And he would not need to do so much since he’d been saving his allowance for months now.

 

“Erasmus, you shouldn’t be counting your money like that in public.”

 

The blonde boy jumped and gripped his heart as he spun. “Don’t scare me like that!” he said. He thought his companion looked too pleased with himself, but nonetheless stuffed his coin back into his bag.

 

“And just imagine if I had ill intentions for your money.”

 

“You nearly gave me a heart attack. I’d say that’s ill intended,” said Erasmus.

 

His friend, Kallias, simply smiled and stepped closer, winding his arm through his. The first time Kallias did this years ago, it had surprised him. It wasn’t a thing he had seen many boys do, and particularly not with other boys. The only thing that made it odder still was that Erasmus was quite certain he had never seen Kallias do this with any of his other friends, boy or girl or anyone else. But Erasmus had stopped questioning it long ago, for even though Kallias was his very best friend there were things about Kallias that were mysterious even to him.

 

“Come,” said Kallias, his breath close to Erasmus’s ear. “What were you doing outside the broom shop?”

 

Erasmus opened his mouth, but no noise came out. In his silence, Kallias turned to look at him and a smile spread. He suddenly held Erasmus by his arms, “Oh! You reconsidered? You’ll be joining me this season after all?”

 

Erasmus stared, then shook his head. “No, no. I’ve told you, I’m not good at that sort of –“ he vaguely waved his hand in the air, as if to encompass all of Quidditching by a twist of his wrist, “thing.”

 

Kallias only nodded and entwined their arms again. It took a few moments for the blonde student to realize his friend was leading him through the town center. A man walked with his arms weighed by gifts, a woman rushed past him, nearly toppling him, in her eagerness to meet her date under the overhang. “- but I think you can do anything you set your mind to,” said Kallias, breaking his musings and making his cheeks grow warm.

 

He used to think back when they were children and he didn’t know him very well that Kallias said these things to be mean. After many similar proclamations that both confused young Erasmus and warmed him to his toes, he eventually realized the other boy meant every word.

 

_“I like your voice,” said Kallias one night when he found eight-year-old Erasmus crying in the boys’ restroom. Blotchy faced and snot nosed, Erasmus looked up and saw his vague familiar shape, and tried very hard not to cry more._

 

_Kallias stood there, silent and tall against the dark entry, beautiful like a tree in the nighttime forest, though he could not have been tall at that age. “I think they’re jealous,” the boy said. “When you talk, it’s like your singing. It’s just soft is all, like we have to listen so we can get the song. But the ones who make fun of you sound like they’re squawking.”_

_The sobbing boy erupted in laughter, and soon he was wiping different tears from his eyes. Kallias took this as an invitation to come closer, and he sat near Erasmus’s feet, close enough to touch but far enough for it to be a question._

_“Thank you,” said Erasmus. The other boy didn’t respond, but he smiled and sat with him._

 

“Erasmus?” Kallias asked.

 

Erasmus tapped his forehead against Kallias’ shoulder, who laid his cheek against the crown of Erasmus’s hair in response. It was uncomfortable since they were walking, and it only lasted a moment before they both righted themselves, but it stirred a brightness in his belly.

 

 

\- - -

 

 

Mugs clinked and laughter boomed in the Three Broomstricks. The day had faded into dark ink, and the flickering candles inside the pub seemed to soften everything. Erasmus and Kallias sat in a quieter corner of the pub, and talked about classes and joked about a Potions teacher who always seemed to know when they were passing enchanted notes to each other. “I don’t know why she’s teaching Potions when she’s clearly meant to be doing Divination.”

 

“But then students would know she sees all,” said Erasmus.

 

The other shrugged. “That never stopped us from swapping notes.”

 

The two grinned at each other, and Erasmus ducked his head, scratching at a splinter in the table when something bright was pushed to the middle. It was a present, colorfully wrapped in yellow and tied with black twine, though the edges puffed and there were many bits of small clear ribbon pressed around the bright packaging.

 

“It’s for you.” Kallias did not blush, though it wasn’t often he refused to look Erasmus in the eyes while talking.

 

Erasmus said, “Thank you,” more from an automatic response than anything. It would be a lie to say he hadn’t been expecting a present from Kallias at least a small bit, but in the past they had swapped presents during the house holiday party and it was still early December.

 

For some reason, this felt intimate and Erasmus couldn’t help the blush that bloomed in his cheeks.

 

“Open it,” said Kallias with a gesture. Erasmus made a noise in agreement, though it felt wrong to use a spell to open the gift, so he pulled the small box closer to him. He gently pulled the sides free, and said “I’ve always wondered where you got these clear ribbon bits from.”

 

Kallias grinned, “It’s called tape. It’s a Muggle thing – it’s how we wrap presents when I’m home.”

 

Erasmus mouthed the word ‘tape’ as he pulled the wrapping free to find an open-faced box filled with wild flowers he hadn’t seen in months. Blues and rich indigos, oranges and flaming reds, and in the center was a single sunflower.

 

“You talk about how much you miss the sun during winter. I thought this might help for now,” said Kallias.

 

Erasmus looked at his friend and didn’t realize he had stood up. He only knew he intended to keep Kallias in his arms until the sun came back in spring, and even then he wasn’t sure he would let Kallias go. But a gentle hand stopped him, and before Erasmus could feel hurt he saw his friend point towards the flowers. “There’s one more thing.”

 

There was a white envelope sitting on the flowers, plain and unsigned. Erasmus sat back down and gently lifted the envelope, pulling the card from inside.

 

He looked to Kallias, and noted that his friend could indeed blush. And this time, there was no hand to stop him when he rounded the table and squeezed Kallias. “Yes, of course I will!”

 

The card sat on the sunflower, bright and unadorned and beautiful with the message, _“Will you go with me to Yule Ball?”_

 

 

\- - -

 

 

The morning after Yule Ball, after they had danced and laughed and danced again, after they had meandered the halls and found a cozy nook to twine their hands, after they went to their separate beds thinking of the soft kiss they shared, they found each other and Erasmus gave his present to Kallias. The other boy glowed when he saw the broomstick, and Erasmus pressed a shy kiss to his cheek. He forgot about missing the sun when Kallias shined so bright.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Created for Captive Prince Secret Santa 2017. Thank you #42 for inspiring me to write Erasmus/Kallias.


End file.
